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Tuesday, 6 February 2007

Farewell, NZ, thanks for the memories

Most New Zealanders hate France and the French like nothing on earth (think Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior and froggie bombers) so it’s a bit disconcerting to find ourselves in Akaroa, a little east-coast town near Christchurch that’s as French as they come.

Famous for its French history and cuisine, it’s also a fantastic place to see the smallest and one of the rarest dolphins in the world, the Hector’s dolphin, and since this is our final stop in NZ, it’s now or never. (I’m trying to impress upon the girls that it’s far better to see even one in the wild than a zillion in a tank - I just don’t do animals in cages – and so we find ourselves on this little boat having forked out 92 bucks to see the grand total of … ONE dolphin. Still, the girls love it, and that’s cool.)

So after months on the road, it's time to bid farewell to New Zealand - it's been bloody wonderful - and say hello Australia! It'll be nice to stop for a while ...

About the book

For every North American mom who dares forge her own way - when all around are the suburban ideals of keeping up and conforming - there are a zillion others who will consistently say, “I’d love to do this or that but I can’t because of the kids.”

At its heart, this book is about showing parents, particularly those who yearn to travel, that it’s possible to have their cake and eat it too. Because all evidence to the contrary, combining one’s passion for seeing the world with the passion one has for one’s own kids can actually be done. (And it sure beats living with the regret and resentment of having put off one’s own dreams to faithfully toe the modern parent’s sacrificial line.)

About Me

Married to a wild New Zealander and the mother of two divine girls, I am an Elora, Ontario-based travel junkie who unfortunately needs to get a real job from time to time - generally as an editor, columnist and freelance travel writer. Born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, I got my B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in 1987 and have worked ever since to keep feeding my travel bug. It’s taken me to India and Nepal, Southeast Asia, Egypt and Israel, Europe and the UK, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, and South Africa and Lesotho. Next stop Central America: two months of backpacking heaven in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua with the hubby and kids. Bring it on!